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Money can make anybody lie. Including the NFL.

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Back in May, I posted a slightly sarcastic blurb criticizing Ray Rice’s lawyer. At the time, Rice’s whole scenario had not yet played out. When Rice’s (future) wife later publicly apologized and the league office handed down a scathing punishment of a two-game suspension, it didn’t pass the smell test for me…but I didn’t comment again because I didn’t want to look like a card-carrying Internet Thought Nazi. And I figured it might be over anyway. Boy, was I wrong.

Apparently under the fear of losing quite a bit of money that comes with a multi-game suspension, Ray Rice publicly lied about what happened inside the casino elevator. He thought it worked.

It’s hard to speak for why a woman does things, but I’ll give it a try: she was about to marry a multi-millionaire and didn’t want to lose out on the good life, so she lied as well. She thought it worked.

It’s hard to believe Rice did not tell the Ravens every minute detail of what happened so they can be prepared to go to bat for him. So naturally, the team lied so that they wouldn’t lose a key player for an extended period of time (for whom they ALREADY had paid handsomely). They thought it worked.

So the league office, blissfully unaware that everybody was lying to them, slapped Rice’s wrist and turned to take on more important matters…while trying to ignore all the harsh language directed their way, which didn’t work for long.

Except for one problem: the league office lied.

OK, I don’t have proof they also lied, but it sure looks especially bad for them. The league office claimed that they requested video of the interior of the casino elevator, but never said if they got it. Naturally, one can assume they would burn the tapes and wish away all their troubles. If everyone involved was part of a humongous lie, it would damage the reputation of the shield (aka, “we lose money, too”).